Thibaut Pinot of FDJ has won the sixth stage of the Critérium du Dauphiné.
With Chris Froome in the lead for this Queens Stage of 141kms from La Rochette to Méribel, the climbs and action started early.
On the Col de Champ-Laurent climb, there was a break which comprised of Ben Hermans (BMC), Robert Kiserlovski and Roman Kreuziger (Tinkoff), Thibaut Pinot and Jérémy Roy (FDJ), Laurens De Plus and Tony Martin (Etixx-Quick Step), Mikaël Chérel and Ben Gastauer (AG2R-La Mondiale), Daryl Impey (Orica), Jurgen Van den Broeck (Katusha), Tony Gallopin and Louis Vervaecke (Lotto-Soudal), Serge Pauwels and Daniel Teklehaimanot (Dimension Data), Marc Soler (Movistar), Thomas Voeckler, Bryan Nauleau, Perrig Quémeneur and Romain Sicard (Direct Energie), George Bennett (LottoNL-Jumbo), Marco Minnaard (Wanty-Groupe Gobert), Cesare Benedetti and Patrick Konrad (Bora-Argon 18), Tsgabu Grmay (Lampre-Merida).
After 23kms, this group was 2.30 ahead and Daniel Teklehaimanot (Dimension Data) moved to be first over the first climb and the second.
Onto the Col de la Madeleine and there was an attack from Alberto Contador, Fabio Aru, Jesper Hansen (Tinkoff), Joaquim Rodriguez (Katusha), Dayer Quintana (Movistar) and Bjorn Thurau (Wanty) but Team Sky brought them back.
Chérel and Pauwels went clear with behimd them at forty seconds was Ben Hermans (BMC), Robert Kiserlovski, Roman Kreuziger (Tinkoff), Thibaut Pinot, Jérémy Roy (FDJ), Laurens De Plus, Tony Martin (Etixx), Fabio Aru (Astana), Jan Bakelants, Romain Bardet, Ben Gastauer (AG2R), Daryl Impey (Orica), Jurgen Van den Broek (Katusha), Tony Gallopin (Lotto-Soudal), George Bennett (Lotto-Jumbo) and Tsgabu Grmay (Lampre)
With thirty kilometres left, the front group was back together and was 2.13 ahead of Froome's group and 2.42 when they started on the 12.3km Meribel climb.
Roman Bardet of AG2R and FDJ's Thibaut Pinot came to the front. Bardet put in two attacks with 2.7kms left as the gap dropped to 1.36.
Bardet took on Pinot who made the right move to win in 4.24.18 with Dan Martin third and Chris Froome fourth.
"I could not plan it," said Pinot. "I gave everything and my legs were good today. I have to recover from the final stage and I'll see what I can deliver."
Chris Froome leads Richie Porte going by twenty one seconds going into the final stage.